know that Big Issue North has already closed, but are there any other street publications in trouble? Findlay-Agnew: Street papers are both social enterprises and non-profi t organisations, and they rely on direct sales on the street and income from trusts, foundations and government funding. There is no doubt that many of our members have faced enormous challenges during the pandemic. The future of street papers in a postpandemic world Over the past few decades, street papers have been quietly changing the lives of countless people around the world, not only by sharing interesting stories and insights, but also as a tool to help the disadvantaged in society to become self-reliant. In an interview with Mike Findlay-Agnew, CEO of the International Network of Street Newspapers (INSP), and through the example of one street paper’s digital transformation, The Big Issue Taiwan explores how street papers have persevered with their mission in the face of adversity and the profound impact they have had on people experiencing homelessness. By Dido Lin The history of street papers: Street News In 1989, rock musician Hutchinson Persons was walking through New York’s Grand Central Station when he noticed the huge number of people experiencing homelessness – and decided to organise a fundraiser concert in Times Square. In the run-up to the event, he created a newsletter to report progress to donors. Then the thought struck him: why not turn it into a newspaper that people experiencing homelessness could sell to become self-suffi cient without having to rely on charity? Street News was offi cially launched in October 1989. Magazines were sold for 75 cents, with the vendor keeping 45c and the remaining 30c going towards the paper’s operating costs. This made Street News the world’s fi rst social enterprise to allow people experiencing homelessness to sell street papers as a means of solving the issue of poverty. The Big Issue Taiwan: How did INSP come up with the idea to connect local street papers and allow them to share articles? Mike Findlay-Agnew: In 1990, British entrepreneur Gordon Roddick was travelling in New York when he saw someone selling Street News. The newspaper was launched in the late 1980s to help the huge number of people experiencing homelessness in New York City. When he returned from his trip, Gordon Roddick and his friend John Bird were inspired to start The Big Issue in the UK. By the mid-90s, street publications were popping up all over the world as an innovative way to tackle poverty. In the meantime, the international arm of The Big Issue had developed into an independent charitable organisation – the International Network of Street Papers (INSP). INSP has been operating as a registered NGO in Scotland for nearly 30 years, with the core philosophy of connecting street publications around the world. With 93 member newspapers in 35 countries, we are committed to providing a platform for people working for street papers to network, share knowledge and learn from each other. INSP also runs a news agency that provides members with high-quality reporting, as well as the opportunity to apply for translations into various languages to help keep street papers in print. We fi rmly believe that by learning together and sharing our experiences, street newspapers can continue to progress and work together to fulfi l their mission of tackling homelessness and poverty. Post-pandemic dilemmas and challenges Since the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing and lockdown measures introduced around the world in an effort to curb the spread of the disease turned cities into ghost towns, which had a direct impact on the core sales channels of street papers. This led publications such as The Big Issue in the UK to turn to supermarkets and online sales to combat the effects of lockdowns on sales. In addition, economic pressures and rising operating costs caused by the pandemic have forced many street papers to close. One such paper is Big Issue North, which was distributed in cities in the north of England, including Manchester, where one vendor said in an interview with The Guardian, “Although I can still sell the London edition, I feel a little less connected not being able to sell the local issues. I used to be able to have a chat about the local news stories in the magazine with readers I met on the street, but now I feel detached from the magazine in my hands.” The Big Issue Taiwan: What are the diffi - culties faced by street papers around the world in the midst of the pandemic? We The closure of shops, pubs and restaurants has resulted in fewer sales opportunities for street papers. Many of our member papers have also adapted their services to cope with these diffi cult times. For example, they are providing additional practical support to vendors and shelters that are struggling. Despite the challenges, we believe that street publications will live on. Digital transformation: Stread In the face of the pandemic and the rising cost of raw materials brought about by infl ation and confl ict, street papers around the world have begun to experiment with a variety of innovative digital transformations. For example, in the UK, Big Issue vendors now carry card machines to make it easier for consumers to make cashless payments. In Taiwan, The Big Issue turned to the Zeczec crowdfunding platform during the pandemic to offer a subscription to the print edition of the magazine. Customers can even nominate a vendor when subscribing so that they can still make money despite the lack of in-person contact. In response to the challenge of rising printing costs, the world’s fi rst digital street publication platform, Stread, was launched at the end of 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The platform not only provides street vendors with personal QR codes so that consumers can immediately receive magazine content on their smart phones after scanning the codes, but also designs personalised content recommendations for readers. For instance, Stread can prioritise the reports related to reader’s area through the geolocation technology, improving the user experience, and vendors receive corresponding earnings through the digital payment system. In addition to greatly reducing the printing costs, the digital transformation lifts the limitation on magazine circulation. On a radio show for promotion, Stread founder Nina Chuba said: “Previously, street vendors could only purchase 10 magazines, but now, they can skip this step and sell digital content directly to readers.” The Big Issue Taiwan: Will this digital transformation deviate from the original motive of allowing vendors to reach out to people and reintegrate into society through selling street papers? Findlay-Agnew: In my role with INSP, I am often asked how printed street papers can coexist with digital innovation. I think that both can coexist. The spirit of street papers lies in having a print available for sale on the streets, which has proven benefi ts for the mental health and well-being of salespeople, as they can enjoy the human interaction with the publication buyers. We hope that this continues. Obviously, we live in a digital era in which many innovations driven by the digital transformation have appeared among street papers on a global scale, such as cashless payments, online sales of publications, digital news, etc. In this transformation, we found that these digital innovations can raise the revenue of street papers, which can ultimately provide more opportunities for vendors to earn an income with dignity. The future of Street News: the story of columnist Lee Stringer In the over 30 years since the fi rst street paper went to print, its business- and care-driven model has helped many people experiencing homelessness to gain independence and to reintegrate into society. Lee Stringer, a columnist and author who has published many best-sellers, was once street homeless and struggled with addiction. The death of his brother brought a heavy blow to him, causing him to gradually sink into depression and substance use. In 1989, he became one of the fi rst street vendors of Street News, selling newspapers to pay for his living expenses. One day, he wrote a story about his dying friend and submitted it to the editors. Gradually, he turned from a vendor to a columnist, and joined an organisation that supports people with experience of homelessness to support those living on the streets. His advice? “Start from a certain starting point, and then grow into who you will be at the next stage.” The Big Issue Taiwan: Has INSP developed any new plans to support the development of street papers across the world? Findlay-Agnew: Running street papers tends to be challenging and isolating, so making connections is crucial for us. In 2023, we launched a new webinar programme, inviting members to gather online to discuss and support topics related to their operations, including communication with vendors, marketing, editorial quality, fundraising, and innovation. Over the past year, we have also established a new working relationship with Thomson Reuters Foundation, a corporate charity associated with Reuters News, which means that we will have even more new and professional reports to share with Street News members around the world to help them to improve their publication quality. Translated from Chinese via Translators Without Borders Courtesy of The Big Issue Taiwan / INSP. Page 17
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